Éphésiens 2

7 traductions · lu à travers 12 traditions.

NCB · Nouvelle Bible du Consensus

¹And you, being dead in your trespasses and sins, ²in which you once walked according to the age of this world, according to the ruler of the authority of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience, ³among whom we all also once lived in the desires of our flesh, doing the will of the flesh and of the thoughts, and were by nature children of wrath, just like the rest. ⁴But God, being rich in mercy, because of his great love with which he loved us, ⁵even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— ⁶and raised us up together and seated us together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, ⁷so that in the coming ages he might show the surpassing riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. ⁸For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God, ⁹not of works, so that no one may boast. ¹⁰For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. ¹¹Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called 'Uncircumcision' by that which is called 'Circumcision' in the flesh, made by hands— ¹²that you were at that time separate from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of the promise, having no hope and without God in the world. ¹³But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have become near in the blood of Christ. ¹⁴For he himself is our peace, who made both one, and broke down the middle wall of the enclosure, ¹⁵having abolished the law of commandments in ordinances, so that he might create in himself the two into one new man, making peace, ¹⁶and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, having put the hostility to death by it. ¹⁷And he came and preached peace to you who were far away, and peace to those who were near, ¹⁸because through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. ¹⁹So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, ²⁰having been built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, ²¹in whom the whole building, fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, ²²in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

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Passages controversés dans ce chapitre

La foi et les œuvres
La manière dont les passages du Nouveau Testament sur la justification par la foi et la nécessité des œuvres sont lus ensemble — ou séparés — façonne l'enseignement chrétien sur la grâce, l'obéissance et la responsabilité sociale.

Ce sur quoi les traditions s’accordent

Broadly, Christians agree that Christ breaking down the 'middle wall of partition' serves as a theological mandate for contemporary racial, ethnic, and social reconciliation within the church. It is widely affirmed, though disputed by some, that good works are the necessary and predestined fruit of justification rather than its cause or condition. However, the underlying mechanics of this grace are fiercely disputed, dividing traditions over whether the unregenerate human will is totally dead… Connectez-vous pour lire le consensus complet →

Partagé par la plupart, mais pas par toutes

Christ breaking down the 'middle wall of partition' serves as a theological mandate for contemporary racial, ethnic, and social reconciliation within the church. (8 affirm)

Là où les traditions diffèrent

The unregenerate human will is totally dead and incapable of cooperating in salvation.
orthodox: DENY; oriental-orthodox: DENY; lutheran: AFFIRM; reformed: AFFIRM; baptist: QUALIFY; methodist: AFFIRM; restorationist: DENY
Saving faith is itself a sovereign gift of God, meaning salvation is entirely monergistic.
catholic: QUALIFY; orthodox: DENY; oriental-orthodox: DENY; lutheran: AFFIRM; reformed: AFFIRM; baptist: QUALIFY; restorationist: DENY
Salvation by grace requires the synergistic cooperation of human free will to walk in good works.
catholic: AFFIRM; orthodox: AFFIRM; oriental-orthodox: AFFIRM; lutheran: DENY; reformed: DENY; baptist: DENY
The 'works' excluded from justification refer specifically to works of human merit or the Mosaic Law, not to conditions of obedient faith such as baptism.
catholic: DENY; baptist: DENY; restorationist: AFFIRM
Salvation is received by conscious faith apart from any physical or sacramental rituals, precluding baptismal regeneration.
oriental-orthodox: DENY; anglican: DENY; lutheran: DENY; baptist: AFFIRM; restorationist: DENY
The phrase 'by nature children of wrath' establishes the doctrine of original sin and the necessity of baptismal regeneration.
anglican: AFFIRM; lutheran: QUALIFY; baptist: DENY; methodist: QUALIFY
Good works are the necessary and predestined fruit of justification rather than its cause or condition.
catholic: AFFIRM; oriental-orthodox: DENY; anglican: AFFIRM; lutheran: AFFIRM; reformed: AFFIRM; baptist: AFFIRM; methodist: AFFIRM; anabaptist: AFFIRM; pentecostal: AFFIRM; adventist: AFFIRM
The 'prince of the power of the air' identifies literal demonic forces inhabiting the aerial realm who incite human rebellion.
orthodox: AFFIRM; adventist: QUALIFY
The integration of Gentiles into the 'commonwealth of Israel' proves the historical continuity of a single Covenant of Grace spanning the Old and New Testaments.
reformed: AFFIRM; restorationist: DENY
The 'law of commandments contained in ordinances' refers strictly to the ceremonial law, leaving the eternal moral law binding upon believers.
reformed: AFFIRM; adventist: AFFIRM; restorationist: DENY
Christ's abolition of the law of commandments completely annulled the Old Covenant, meaning its practices cannot authorize New Testament worship.
reformed: DENY; adventist: DENY; restorationist: AFFIRM
The 'foundation of the apostles and prophets' establishes the necessity of continuous apostolic succession and a visible church hierarchy.
catholic: AFFIRM; orthodox: AFFIRM; anglican: AFFIRM; lutheran: DENY; reformed: DENY; baptist: DENY; pentecostal: DENY; restorationist: DENY
The 'foundation of the apostles and prophets' indicates the closure of the biblical canon and the cessation of the foundational apostolic office.
catholic: DENY; reformed: AFFIRM; pentecostal: AFFIRM

Comment chaque tradition l’interprète

Chaque lecture a été générée isolément — aucune tradition ne voit la réponse d’une autre.

Catholic

Ephesians 2 traces a twofold narrative of reconciliation. Verses 1-10 describe the vertical reconciliation of individuals to God: moving from spiritual death, captivity to worldly and demonic forces, and inherent wrath, to being raised and seated with Christ by sheer unmerited grace. Verses 11-22 describe a horizontal reconciliation inextricably bound to the vertical: Gentiles, once alienated from Israel's covenants and without hope, are brought near by the blood of Christ. The Mosaic law dividing Jew and Gentile is abolished in Christ's flesh, creating 'one new man' and a single household of God. This unified body is depicted as a holy temple growing on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ as the cornerstone. Reception: The Catholic communion, drawing on both Latin and Eastern Fathers, reads Ephesians 2 as a pivotal text for its theology of grace, justification, and ecclesiology. Verses 8-10 are central to the Catholic doctrine of justification. Augustine of Hippo leverages verse 8 against Pelagianism, insisting that even the faith by which one lays hold of salvation is a pure gift of God, not a product of human initiative. The Council of Trent relies heavily on these verses to teach that justification is utterly gratuitous: nothing that precedes justification—neither faith nor works—merits the grace of justification. Yet, the Magisterium holds verses 8-9 and 10 tightly together: while human works do not earn initial justification, believers are newly created 'for good works' (v. 10). Thomas Aquinas clarifies that grace excludes the merit of preceding works to prevent human boasting, but necessarily produces subsequent works of charity as a participation in Christ's life. Eastern Catholic thought, engaging with John Chrysostom, gravitates toward verses 5-6 as a supreme expression of theosis (divinization) and mystical union. Chrysostom marvels at the profound solidarity between Christ (the Head) and the Church (the body); because Christ is enthroned, human nature is already exalted and seated in the heavenly places in Him. Furthermore, verses 19-22 form a primary locus for Catholic ecclesiology. The Second Vatican Council synthesizes this imagery to describe the Church as both the 'household of God' and a 'holy temple.' The 'foundation of the apostles' (v. 20) undergirds the dogma of apostolic succession, where the visible, historical hierarchy serves the mystical growth of the building.

Eastern Orthodox

In this epistle, Paul contrasts the Ephesians' past state of spiritual death—characterized by enslavement to worldly passions and the demonic 'prince of the power of the air' (2:1-3)—with their present reality of salvation. God, through His rich mercy, has resurrected and exalted them alongside Christ (2:4-7). This salvation is fundamentally a gift of grace received through faith, not a product of human origin, yet it is purposed for a life of good works (2:8-10). Paul then addresses the historical alienation of Gentiles from Israel's covenants. Through the cross, Christ has abolished the divisive law and its commandments, destroying the enmity to forge 'one new man' out of the two groups (2:11-18). Consequently, Gentile believers are fully integrated as fellow citizens and members of God's household, forming a holy temple built upon the apostolic and prophetic foundation, with Christ as the chief cornerstone (2:19-22). Reception: Eastern Orthodox theology receives this chapter as a cornerstone for its understanding of synergy (synergeia), theosis, and ecclesiology. Regarding salvation (verses 8-10), the tradition resolutely avoids Western dichotomies between grace and works. John Chrysostom (Homilies on Ephesians) articulates the patristic consensus that while salvation is initiated entirely by God's uncreated grace—and even the capacity for faith is awakened by His calling—human free will must actively cooperate. Thus, grace and faith operate synergistically, organically producing the 'good works' in which humans are created to walk. The reference to the 'prince of the power of the air' (verse 2) heavily informs Orthodox demonology; Theophylact of Ohrid (Explanation of the Epistle to the Ephesians) notes that fallen angels inhabit this aerial realm, actively opposing humanity's ascent to God, an image that also echoes throughout the tradition's ascetic literature and the concept of aerial toll houses. The abolition of enmity to create 'one new man' (verses 14-15) is read as a profound Christological mystery; Irenaeus of Lyons (Against Heresies) understands this as the recapitulation of all fractured humanity into the deified, single Body of Christ. Furthermore, the ecclesiology of verses 19-22 is foundational for the Orthodox understanding of the Church as the continuous, historical, and visible communion of saints, inherently dependent on Apostolic Succession.

Oriental Orthodox

In this epistle, the Apostle Paul reminds his Gentile audience of their former state of spiritual death and subjection to the present evil age. He declares that God, out of sheer mercy and love, has raised them from death to life alongside Christ, saving them by grace through faith apart from human boasting, yet re-creating them specifically for good works. Moving from the personal to the corporate, the text announces that the historic alienation of the Gentiles from the covenants of Israel has been permanently resolved. Christ's physical death on the cross destroyed the dividing wall of the Mosaic Law, reconciling both Jew and Gentile into 'one new man' and a single body, granting both equal access to the Father by one Spirit, and integrating them into a single, growing temple built on the apostles and prophets. Reception: The Oriental Orthodox tradition receives Ephesians 2 as a pivotal Christological and ecclesiological text, particularly reading its latter half through the miaphysite theology of the Alexandrian and Antiochene Fathers. Verses 14 through 16 are central to the defense of the one incarnate nature of God the Word. Cyril of Alexandria emphasized the phrase 'abolished in his flesh the enmity' (verse 15) to demonstrate that the flesh belonged properly and hypostatically to the Word, possessing His life-giving and reconciling power, rather than belonging to a distinct, assumed human person. Severus of Antioch applied the Apostle's imagery of the 'one new man' (verse 15) as a profound analogy for the hypostatic union: just as two radically distinct groups (Jew and Gentile) are forged into a single, indivisible new reality in Christ, so too are divinity and humanity united without confusion or division into the one incarnate nature of the Word. Furthermore, the early verses regarding salvation by grace (verses 8-10) are read synergistically within the tradition's ascetic framework. The unmerited grace that resurrects humanity from spiritual death (verse 5) is intrinsically purposed toward the 'good works' (verse 10) that God prepared, forming the theological basis for the rigorous asceticism characteristic of the Syriac, Coptic, and Ethiopian monastic traditions.

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Toutes les traductions

Le même chapitre dans 7 traductions du domaine public.

WEB · World English Bible

¹You were made alive when you were dead in transgressions and sins, ²in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the children of disobedience. ³We also all once lived among them in the lusts of our flesh, doing the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. ⁴But God, being rich in mercy, for his great love with which he loved us, ⁵even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— ⁶and raised us up with him, and made us to sit with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, ⁷that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus; ⁸for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, ⁹not of works, that no one would boast. ¹⁰For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared before that we would walk in them. ¹¹Therefore remember that once you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called “uncircumcision” by that which is called “circumcision” (in the flesh, made by hands), ¹²that you were at that time separate from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of the promise, having no hope and without God in the world. ¹³But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off are made near in the blood of Christ. ¹⁴For he is our peace, who made both one, and broke down the middle wall of separation, ¹⁵having abolished in his flesh the hostility, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man of the two, making peace, ¹⁶and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, having killed the hostility through it. ¹⁷He came and preached peace to you who were far off and to those who were near. ¹⁸For through him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. ¹⁹So then you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and of the household of God, ²⁰being built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the chief cornerstone; ²¹in whom the whole building, fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord; ²²in whom you also are built together for a habitation of God in the Spirit.

KJV · King James Version

¹And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; ²Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: ³Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. ⁴But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, ⁵Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) ⁶And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: ⁷That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. ⁸For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: ⁹Not of works, lest any man should boast. ¹⁰For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. ¹¹Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; ¹²That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: ¹³But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. ¹⁴For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; ¹⁵Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; ¹⁶And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: ¹⁷And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. ¹⁸For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. ¹⁹Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; ²⁰And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; ²¹In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: ²²In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

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Différences qui changent le sens (47)

v1 [lexical]: trespasses/transgressions vs offenses — “in trespasses” (KJV, WEBSTER) vs “your offences” (DARBY, DRC) vs “transgressions” (WEB) vs “through your” (ASV) vs “the” (YLT)
v2 [lexical]: course vs age — “course” (WEB, KJV, ASV, WEBSTER, DRC) vs “age” (YLT, DARBY)
v2 [lexical]: prince vs ruler — “prince” (WEB, KJV, ASV, WEBSTER, DRC) vs “ruler” (YLT, DARBY)
v2 [lexical]: power vs authority vs powers — “power” (WEB, KJV, WEBSTER, DRC) vs “authority” (YLT, DARBY) vs “powers” (ASV)
v2 [grammatical]: (vv 2, 12) definite article vs demonstrative pronoun — “the” (WEB, KJV, ASV, YLT, DARBY, WEBSTER) vs “this” (DRC)
v2 [grammatical]: relative pronoun choice and linking verb — “that” (KJV, ASV, WEBSTER, DRC) vs “who” (WEB, DARBY) vs “is” (YLT)
v2 [grammatical]: verb tense and preposition choice — “worketh in” (KJV, ASV, WEBSTER) vs “works” (WEB, DARBY) vs “working” (YLT) vs “on” (DRC)
v2 [lexical]: children vs sons — “children” (WEB, KJV, WEBSTER, DRC) vs “sons” (ASV, YLT, DARBY)
v2 [interpretive]: disobedience vs unbelief — “disobedience” (WEB, KJV, ASV, YLT, DARBY, WEBSTER) vs “unbelief” (DRC)
v3 [lexical]: lusts vs desires — “lusts” (WEB, KJV, ASV, DARBY, WEBSTER) vs “desires” (YLT, DRC)
v3 [lexical]: doing vs fulfilling — “doing” (WEB, ASV) vs “fulfilling the desires of” (KJV, WEBSTER) vs “doing wishes” (YLT) vs “doing what” (DARBY) vs “will” (DRC)
v3 [lexical]: mind vs thoughts — “of the mind” (WEB, KJV, ASV, WEBSTER) vs “thoughts” (YLT) vs “thoughts willed to do” (DARBY) vs “our thoughts” (DRC)
v3 [lexical]: the rest vs others — “the rest” (WEB, ASV, DARBY, DRC) vs “others” (KJV, WEBSTER) vs “also the” (YLT)
v4 [grammatical]: participle vs relative clause — “being” (WEB, ASV, YLT, DARBY) vs “who is” (KJV, WEBSTER, DRC)
v4 [lexical]: mercy vs kindness and preposition choice — “mercy for” (WEB, KJV, ASV, WEBSTER, DRC) vs “kindness because of” (YLT) vs “because of” (DARBY)
v4 [lexical]: love vs charity — “with which” (WEB, YLT, WEBSTER) vs “great love wherewith” (KJV, ASV, DARBY) vs “exceeding charity” (DRC)
v5 [grammatical]: finite clause vs participle — “Even when we were” (WEB, KJV, ASV, WEBSTER, DRC) vs “being” (YLT) vs “too being” (DARBY)
v5 [lexical]: trespasses vs sins and quickened vs made alive — “through our trespasses made” (WEB, ASV) vs “in sins hath quickened” (KJV, DRC) vs “the trespasses did make” (YLT) vs “offences has” (DARBY) vs “made” (WEBSTER)
v6 [interpretive]: together vs with him — “together” (KJV, YLT, DARBY, WEBSTER, DRC) vs “with him” (WEB, ASV)
v6 [grammatical]: verb tense and auxiliary differences — “made” (WEB, KJV, ASV, WEBSTER) vs “did seat” (YLT) vs “has” (DARBY) vs “hath” (DRC)
v6 [lexical]: heavenly places vs heavenlies — “the” (WEB, ASV, YLT) vs “heavenly places in” (KJV, WEBSTER) vs “the heavenlies” (DARBY) vs “the through” (DRC)
v7 [lexical]: exceeding vs surpassing vs abundant — “exceeding” (WEB, KJV, ASV, YLT, WEBSTER) vs “surpassing” (DARBY) vs “abundant” (DRC)
v7 [grammatical]: (vv 7, 22) in vs through — “in” (WEB, ASV, YLT, DARBY, DRC) vs “through” (KJV, WEBSTER)
v8 [grammatical]: perfect tense translation phrasing — “by grace are ye” (KJV, WEBSTER) vs “you have been” (WEB) vs “have been” (ASV) vs “are having been” (YLT) vs “are” (DARBY) vs “you” (DRC)
v8 [grammatical]: demonstrative vs relative pronoun — “that” (WEB, KJV, ASV, WEBSTER, DRC) vs “this” (YLT, DARBY)
v9 [grammatical]: of vs by vs on the principle of — “of” (WEB, KJV, ASV, YLT, DRC) vs “on the principle” (DARBY) vs “by” (WEBSTER)
v10 [grammatical]: preposition choice (for/to/unto/in) — “for” (WEB, ASV, DARBY) vs “to” (YLT, WEBSTER) vs “unto” (KJV) vs “in” (DRC)
v10 [lexical]: prepared vs ordained — “prepared” (WEB, DRC) vs “hath before ordained” (KJV, WEBSTER) vs “afore prepared” (ASV) vs “did prepare” (YLT) vs “has prepared” (DARBY)
v11 [lexical]: made by hands vs done with the hand — “made by hands” (WEB, KJV, ASV, YLT, WEBSTER, DRC) vs “done with the hand” (DARBY)
v12 [lexical]: commonwealth vs conversation — “commonwealth” (WEB, KJV, ASV, YLT, DARBY, WEBSTER) vs “conversation” (DRC)
v12 [grammatical]: preposition (from vs to) — “from” (WEB, KJV, ASV, WEBSTER) vs “to” (YLT, DARBY, DRC)
v12 [lexical]: covenants vs testament — “the” (WEB, ASV, YLT) vs “covenants of promise” (KJV, DARBY, WEBSTER) vs “testament” (DRC)
v13 [lexical]: made nigh vs became near — “are made nigh by” (KJV, WEBSTER, DRC) vs “near in” (WEB) vs “in” (ASV) vs “became in” (YLT) vs “become” (DARBY)
v16 [grammatical]: preposition and object phrasing — “by” (KJV, WEBSTER, DRC) vs “to God through” (WEB, YLT) vs “unto God through” (ASV) vs “to God” (DARBY)
v16 [grammatical]: participle vs finite verb — “having slain” (KJV, ASV, YLT) vs “by it” (DARBY, WEBSTER) vs “killed” (WEB) vs “killing” (DRC)
v17 [stylistic]: relative pronoun choice and phrasing — “who” (DARBY, WEBSTER) vs “who far” (WEB) vs “which were afar off” (KJV) vs “that far” (ASV) vs “the far-off” (YLT) vs “that” (DRC)
v18 [grammatical]: conjunction and preposition — “For through” (WEB, KJV, ASV, DARBY, WEBSTER) vs “because” (YLT) vs “by” (DRC)
v18 [grammatical]: preposition (by/in) — “by” (KJV, DARBY, WEBSTER) vs “in” (WEB, ASV) vs “we both in” (YLT) vs “both in” (DRC)
v19 [stylistic]: conjunctive phrasing (now therefore vs so then) — “Now therefore ye” (KJV, WEBSTER) vs “So then” (ASV, DARBY) vs “So then you” (WEB) vs “Then” (YLT) vs “you” (DRC)
v19 [stylistic]: no more vs no longer — “more” (KJV, ASV, YLT, WEBSTER, DRC) vs “longer” (WEB, DARBY)
v19 [lexical]: foreigners vs sojourners — “foreigners” (WEB, KJV, YLT, DARBY, WEBSTER, DRC) vs “sojourners” (ASV)
v19 [grammatical]: phrasing of fellow citizens — “you are fellow citizens” (WEB, DRC) vs “fellowcitizens with” (KJV, WEBSTER) vs “ye are” (ASV) vs “of” (YLT) vs “ye are of” (DARBY)
v19 [lexical]: household vs domestics — “household” (WEB, KJV, ASV, YLT, DARBY, WEBSTER) vs “domestics” (DRC)
v21 [grammatical]: whole building vs each several building — “all the” (KJV, YLT, DARBY, WEBSTER, DRC) vs “whole” (WEB) vs “each several” (ASV)
v21 [lexical]: fitly framed vs fitted — “fitly framed” (KJV, ASV, YLT, WEBSTER) vs “fitted” (WEB, DARBY) vs “being” (DRC)
v21 [lexical]: grows vs increases — “grows into a” (WEB) vs “groweth unto an” (KJV) vs “into a” (ASV) vs “doth increase to” (YLT) vs “increases to a” (DARBY) vs “to a” (WEBSTER) vs “up into” (DRC)
v22 [grammatical]: preposition/article phrasing (into vs for a) — “a” (WEB, ASV, YLT, DARBY, WEBSTER) vs “for an” (KJV) vs “into” (DRC)

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Texte source. Greek (TAGNT, public-domain critical text). Public-domain critical Greek text (Nestle-Aland/SBL tradition).

Noms divins : Theos (God), Kyrios (Lord).

Également consultées, mais non incluses dans le consensus

Academic textual-historical analysis

The text presents a bipartite theological argument regarding salvation and reconciliation. In verses 1-10, the author describes a movement from a state of spiritual death—characterized by obedience to worldly desires and an adversarial spiritual ruler of the 'air'—to a resurrected state, seated with Christ in heavenly places. The passage explicitly states that this salvation is a present, accomplished reality achieved by grace through faith, explicitly denying human works as the cause (vv. 8-9). In verses 11-22, the focus shifts from individual salvation to corporate reconciliation. It asserts that Gentile believers, formerly alienated from Israel's covenants, have been brought near. The text declares that Christ's flesh has abolished the 'law of commandments contained in ordinances,' breaking down a dividing wall to merge the two groups into 'one new man' (v. 15), culminating in an architectural metaphor of a holy temple built upon apostles and prophets.

Jewish interpretation

From a Jewish historical perspective, this chapter is a first-century Hellenistic text (often considered deutero-Pauline by modern critical scholars) addressing Gentile followers of the early Jesus movement. It argues that these Gentiles, who were formerly alienated from the 'commonwealth of Israel' and its covenants (Ephesians 2:12), have been brought near. The text asserts that this unification occurred because the 'middle wall of partition' (2:14) and the 'law of commandments contained in ordinances' (2:15) have been abolished, replacing a framework of covenantal 'works' with one of pure grace (2:8-9).

Latter-day Saint

In this epistolary text, Paul addresses Gentile believers, reminding them that though they were spiritually dead and alienated from Israel, they have been made alive through Christ. He asserts that salvation is a gift of God's grace, not achieved by works, preventing human boasting (vv. 8-9), while affirming they are created for good works (v. 10). Paul declares that Christ abolished the dividing law of commandments, reconciling both Jew and Gentile into one body and breaking down the middle wall of partition. Consequently, Gentiles are no longer strangers but fellow citizens in God's household, which is built upon the foundation of apostles and prophets with Christ as the chief cornerstone (vv. 19-22).

Jehovah's Witnesses

In its immediate context, Ephesians 2 outlines the transformation of believers from spiritual death to life. Paul describes them as formerly alienated and under the control of the 'ruler of the authority of the air' (Satan), but now made alive through God's unmerited favor. The chapter explains that Christ's sacrificial death abolished the Law covenant, thereby removing the barrier between Jews and Gentiles and reconciling both into one new spiritual body, ultimately forming a united, holy temple for God.

Choix de traduction effectués par la NCB (33)

v1: "trespasses" — Translates παραπτώμασιν accurately and strictly prepares the exact refrain in verse 5.
v1: "being dead" — The literal rendering 'being dead' preserves the theological ambiguity, leaving it disputed among traditions whether the unregenerate human will is totally dead and incapable of cooperating.
v2: "age" — Translates αἰῶνα dynamically to distinguish it from the spatial 'world' (κόσμου).
v2: "ruler of the authority of the air" — Precisely translates ἄρχοντα and ἐξουσίας, leaving it disputed among traditions whether this identifies literal demonic forces inhabiting the aerial realm.
v2: "spirit" — Uses lowercase to denote the adversarial or systemic spirit working in the sons of disobedience.
v3: "desires" — Translates ἐπιθυμίαις broadly as desires rather than restricting the term strictly to sexual lusts.
v3: "children of wrath" — Translates the Greek literally, leaving it disputed among traditions whether this establishes the doctrine of original sin.
v4: "God" — Maps Theos to God per the divine-name map.
v4: "mercy, because of" — Translates the preposition διὰ plus the accusative accurately as a causal phrase.
v4: "he" — Retains standard lowercase for divine pronouns in keeping with contemporary English style.
v5: "even when we were dead" — Translates the circumstantial participle ὄντας temporally for smoother contemporary English flow.
v5: "have been saved" — Accurately captures the perfect periphrastic participle structure (ἐστε σεσῳσμένοι), indicating an accomplished reality.
v6: "together" — Reflects the συν- prefix in the verb sequence directly, without inserting a supplementary object.
v7: "surpassing" — Translates the participle ὑπερβάλλον dynamically to capture the vastness indicated.
v8: "and this is not from yourselves" — Retains the neuter demonstrative 'this' (τοῦτο), leaving it disputed among traditions whether saving faith itself is a sovereign gift of God or if salvation necessitates human synergy.
v9: "not of works" — Leaves 'works' unconstrained, keeping it disputed among traditions whether this excludes all human synergy, specifically the Mosaic Law, or human merit.
v10: "prepared beforehand so that we would" — Maintains the purposive ἵνα clause without strictly mandating absolute causality, leaving it widely affirmed but disputed by some whether good works are the predestined fruit of justification rather than its condition.
v11: "made by hands" — Accurately reflects the plural semantic component of the compound χειροποιήτου.
v12: "commonwealth of Israel" — Translates πολιτείας as commonwealth, leaving it disputed among traditions whether the integration of Gentiles proves the historical continuity of a single Covenant of Grace.
v12: "covenants" — Properly renders the plural noun διαθηκῶν.
v13: "have become near" — Translates the passive indicative ἐγενήθητε cleanly rather than using the causative 'made'.
v14: "middle wall of the enclosure" — Accurately translates φραγμοῦ as enclosure (paralleling the historical soreg), where it is broadly affirmed to serve as a theological mandate for contemporary reconciliation.
v15: "having abolished the law" — Follows the provided source text, which entirely lacks the phrase 'the hostility in his flesh' prior to 'the law of commandments'.
v15: "law of commandments in ordinances" — Retains the exact structural phrasing, leaving it disputed among traditions whether this refers strictly to ceremonial law or if it completely annulled the Old Covenant.
v16: "by it" — Parses the antecedent of the pronoun (αὐτῷ) as the cross (σταυροῦ) immediately preceding it, rather than rendering it reflexively as Christ.
v17: "who were far away" — Updates archaic idiom into contemporary English, smoothly translating τοῖς μακρὰν while retaining the spatial inclusio.
v18: "Spirit" — Capitalizes Spirit to denote the Holy Spirit as a divine person within a Trinitarian formula.
v19: "sojourners" — Distinguishes πάροικοι (resident aliens/sojourners) from the preceding ξένοι (strangers).
v19: "members of the household" — Expands οἰκεῖοι into idiomatic modern English rather than using the archaic 'domestics'.
v20: "foundation of the apostles and prophets" — Retains the exact genitive phrase, leaving it disputed among traditions whether this establishes continuous apostolic succession or indicates the closure of the biblical canon.
v21: "Lord" — Maps Kyrios to Lord per the divine-name map.
v21: "grows" — Modernizes the verb while retaining the organic, living imagery of αὔξει.
v22: "Spirit" — Capitalizes Spirit as a divine person indwelling the temple metaphor.

Limites à connaître

This is AI-generated and source-grounded, and it is approved by no community that holds these traditions.
The readings were produced in isolated calls that do not see one another. Isolation prevents anchoring; it does not make them independent witnesses.
The Nicene-Trinitarian boundary, and the decision not to seat non-denominational Evangelicalism separately (it is a cross-traditional movement already present within several voting profiles), are editorial choices.
The roster, the grouping into three families, and the rule that families (not seat counts) carry consensus all shape the result. A different roster would produce a different synthesis.
One profile cannot exhaust a tradition; the synthesis reflects what the profiles said, not everything the traditions hold.
The non-voting panels (Academic, Jewish) never vote; LDS and Jehovah's Witness readings are a comparative appendix only.
Any profiles excluded for this chapter after failing the audit are named on the page and removed from the eligible roster for it.
The rendering is unreviewed by any tradition, and every contested wording it settled is listed in Choices Made — where the text forced a decision, the decision is documented rather than hidden behind a claim of preserved ambiguity.

Voir la démarche complète étape par étape → · Généré par l’IA le Oct 12, 2026, gemini-3.1-pro-preview (high thinking) — every stage, v4 spec + Addendum B (claim-audited, cross-stage-checked)